Method for marketing reclaimed wood as flooring

ABSTRACT

A method for marketing reclaimed wood as flooring includes providing a plurality of flooring planks comprising wood reclaimed from a structure and marking at least one of the planks to indicate the information about the source of the reclaimed wood. The information includes the geographic location of the structure from which the reclaimed wood was reclaimed, information about the construction date of the structure from which the wood was reclaimed and information about the type of the reclaimed wood. The marking is achieved by engraving the plank, stamping the plank, mounting a plaque to the plank or any other means for visibly marking the information on the plank. The marking is used to display the information about the source structure when the wood planks are installed in the commercial or residential application.

BACKGROUND

This invention pertains generally to methods for marketing building materials. More particularly, it relates to a method of marketing reclaimed wood that involves marking a plank of the reclaimed wood to indicate information about the source of the reclaimed wood.

Antiques of all types including, furniture, cars and jewelry have long been established as having great value to the owner and potential buyers. The more rare and unique an item is, the more value potential it may have. Building materials are no exception. Antique rugs, stone, tile, mill work, doors, windows, beams and flooring all represent premium items to the luxury home builder.

Antique lumber has more than status value. It has enhanced beauty that has developed over time, and it is far stronger than contemporary lumber. Virgin growth as well as first and second growth trees grew hundreds of years ago in America in very dense forests where they had to compete for nutrients, sun light and water. The result was far slower growing trees as indicated from very tightly spaced growth rings. The tighter the rings are in a tree the stronger the wood is and the more unusual the grain patterns that are revealed upon milling.

These virgin growth and first and second growth trees were used as lumber to build structures in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This lumber had superior strength and once it became part of a barn, house or other structures the lumber expanded and contracted with the various seasons and developed even greater strength and stability as sap crystallized. These planks also developed a rich patina over time much as a copper penny oxidizes with age.

These factors contribute to making an antique wood floor highly desirable to the luxury market. It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a method for marketing reclaimed wood that utilizes information about the source and antique nature of the wood to provide value to the consumer.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

SUMMARY

To achieve the foregoing objects, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention as embodied and broadly described in this document, there is provided a method for marketing reclaimed wood as flooring. The method includes providing a plurality of flooring planks comprising wood reclaimed from a structure and marking at least one of the planks to indicate the information about the source of the reclaimed wood. The information about the source of the reclaimed wood can include the geographic location of the structure from which the reclaimed wood was reclaimed, information about the construction date of the structure from which the wood was reclaimed and information about the type of the reclaimed wood. The marking can include engraving the plank, stamping the plank, mounting a plaque to the plank or any other means for visibly marking the information on the plank.

According to another aspect of the invention, flooring can be offered to a residential or commercial customer. The flooring includes a plurality of planks including wood reclaimed from a source structure. At least one of the reclaimed planks has a marking to indicate information about the reclaimed wood, and the marking is visible when the flooring is installed. The marking is used to display the information about the source structure when the wood planks are installed in the commercial or residential application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred methods and embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates a flow diagram for marketing reclaimed wood as flooring according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an example of a flooring plank comprising reclaimed wood and marked with information about the reclaimed wood, according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of the process for reclaiming antique wood and manufacturing engineered flooring.

DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in more detail to presently preferred methods and embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention is described more fully with reference to these examples and drawings, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative devices, and illustrative examples shown and described. Rather, the description which follows is to be understood as a broad, teaching disclosure directed to persons of ordinary skill in the appropriate arts, and not as limiting upon our invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a presently preferred method for marketing reclaimed wood as flooring according to the present invention includes marking a flooring plank to indicate information about the source of reclaimed wood used in the plank (step 10). The marking (stamping/labeling/stenciling) provides information concerning the origin and history of the reclaimed wood. For example, a stamp (inlay/brand/mark) can be placed on the face of the flooring and the stamp can describe the place (state/region/county) where the materials were reclaimed and an approximate date/year which the source structure was originally built. The mark (stamp/label/stencil) also can display the name of the manufacturer (producer, mill, factory) that produced the reclaimed wood flooring. The marked plank is included in the flooring provided to a residential or commercial customer with a plurality of flooring planks comprising the wood reclaimed from the structure (step 12).

FIG. 2 shows one example of a flooring plank according to the present invention. The plank 20 comprises wood reclaimed from an old structure. The plank 20 includes a marking 22 on the plank's top surface 24. The marking 22 includes information about the reclaimed wood, including the geographic location of the structure from which the wood was reclaimed 26, information about the date of the structure 28, and the species of the reclaimed wood 30.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a presently preferred process for using reclaimed antique wood for manufacturing engineered flooring according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the antique wood is harvested from old buildings for processing (step 100). The harvested raw wood is de-nailed (step 102) and kiln dried (step 104) and is then milled to produce perfectly square edges (step 106). The raw wood is then sawed into a thick veneer (step 108), such as 7/32 inch.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the reclaimed wood veneer is then combined with a plywood core to produce an engineered hardwood floor. The veneer is laminated to a plywood core to form a single laminated structure (step 110). This laminated structure is cut to length in planks and machined to add a standard tongue and groove (step 112), which enables the flooring to be interlocked during installation. Voids in the planks are then filled with wood filler and cured (step 114). The cured planks are then sanded and prepared for finishing (step 116).

Again referring to FIG. 3, after the planks are prepared for finishing, a single plank is selected from the milled flooring material to be marked with information relevant to that specific antique floor (step 118). The selected plank is typically from 8 inches to 5 feet in length and anywhere from 2.5 inches to 12 inches in width, based on the widths included in each specific order of flooring. Before the selected plank is stained, it is placed in a laser engraving machine and engraved to cover an area on the plank of approximately 3 inches tall by 4 to 6 inches long, depending on the width of the plank and the font size chosen.

Once the engraving is complete the plank is put back in production along with the rest of the floor order and is then dyed or stained if required (step 120), and finish is applied to protect the face of each plank (step 122). The plank is packaged separately so it can be easily located by the homeowner, builder or flooring contractor (step 124) and then installed in a special area of the floor chosen by the owner.

During installation of the flooring, the selected plank is incorporated into the floor during installation to provide identification of the physical origin of the original structure from which the antique wood was salvaged as well as the approximate date in which the structure was built. This data provides value to the consumer in terms of status of ownership of an antique product that can be easily observed by visitors or potential home buyers.

From the foregoing disclosure, it will be seen that the present invention provides an advantageous method of marketing reclaimed wood. The method of the invention allows one to use information about the source and antique nature of the wood to provide increased value to the consumer.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative devices, and illustrative examples shown and described. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous changes and modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention and that such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. 

1. A method for marketing reclaimed wood as flooring, comprising: providing a plurality of flooring planks comprising wood reclaimed from a structure; marking at least one of the planks to indicate the information about the source of the reclaimed wood.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the source of the reclaimed wood includes the geographic location of the structure from which the reclaimed wood was reclaimed.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the information about the source of the reclaimed wood includes information about the construction date of the structure from which the wood was reclaimed.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the marking includes information about the type of the reclaimed wood.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein marking the at least one plank comprises engraving the plank.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein marking the at least one plank comprises stamping the plank.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein marking the at least one plank comprises mounting a plaque to the plank.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of flooring planks are provided for residential flooring.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of flooring planks are provided for commercial flooring.
 10. A method of marketing wood flooring for residential or commercial applications, the method comprising: reclaiming a plurality of wood planks previously used in a source structure; and marking at least one of the planks to indicate information about the source structure; wherein the marking is used to display the information about the source structure when the wood planks are installed in the commercial or residential application.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the information about the source structure includes date information for the structure.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein the information about the source structure includes geographic information for the structure.
 13. The method of claim 10 wherein marking the at least one plank comprises engraving the plank, mounting a plaque on the plank or stamping the plank.
 14. A method of marketing wood flooring for residential or commercial applications, the method comprising, the method comprising: offering to a residential or commercial customer flooring comprising a plurality of planks including wood reclaimed from a source structure; wherein at least one of the reclaimed planks has a marking to indicate information about the reclaimed wood; and wherein the marking is visible when the flooring is installed.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the information about the reclaimed wood includes geographic information for the structure.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the information about the reclaimed wood includes information about the date of the source structure.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the marking includes information about the type of the reclaimed wood.
 18. The method of claim 14 wherein marking the at least one plank comprises engraving the plank, mounting a plaque on the plank or stamping the plank. 